Date of Award

Winter 12-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems (PhDIS)

Department

Business and Information Systems

First Advisor

Kevin Streff

Second Advisor

Insu Park

Third Advisor

Gabe Mydland

Abstract

Information security threat is one of the significant challenges organizations must deal with, and one component of that challenge is information security policy compliance. Data breaches sometimes happen because employees do not adhere to information security policies. The purpose of the exploratory study was to determine if power distance had a role in information security policy compliance; power distance is the understanding that power distribution is unequal. The research required survey data collected from a high-power distance index country, Nigeria. The Nigerian working class was the population sample; a model was developed based on compliance, descriptive norms, moral beliefs, normative beliefs, power distance, self-efficacy, sanctions as the independent variables, and intent to comply as the dependent variable. General deterrence theory, protection motivation theory, rational choice theory, theory of reasoned action, and theory of planned behavior were the applicable theories. The analysis was performed using Partial least squares-structural equation modeling, and the preferred software was SmartPLS version 3.3.3. The significance of power distance playing a role in information security compliance would mean that organizations could cultivate the idea of using employees with the cultural characteristic as influencers and could incorporate power distance into the training program. The results showed that power distance was significant in information security policy compliance.

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